Freedom is Within You

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian friends this month. It’s hard to believe we are already here. Many of you are dealing with big life circumstances, such as being in the path of a recent hurricane. We are sending love and prayers to all of you. Many are “worrying” about the outcome of the upcoming election in the USA, the conflict in Israel and Gaza, and more.

In the spirit of everything that is going on in the world, I want to stay on the topic of Freedom. A lot of times, we look for freedom outside of ourselves – we say, “When this circumstance improves, I’ll feel better”; or “When the President I prefer is voted in, then I can rest.” But what if we have misunderstood what freedom actually means?

In the spiritual context, FREEDOM TO BE is what we want to focus on (versus freedom to do what you want to do, or freedom from the constraints of society). FREEDOM TO BE is just that. It does not depend on any external circumstance. It does not jive with ego, because in fact, it is the freedom to be all you were meant to be – at a soul level, a Higher Self-level. The ego often fights your true essence as it wants to stay in charge. It takes conscious awareness to practice BEING who you want to be regardless of external circumstances, and it is very possible.

It reminds me of the Bible stories you hear about, apostles being imprisoned yet still praising God, and finding joy within themselves even though they were in jail. Is it possible that they had such a deep connection to God, that they trusted the circumstance they found themselves in? Could we do that too, regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in? Looking at their examples, it seems to me that Freedom to Be brings Joy!

You may be wondering what God has to do with freedom. Well, I believe that the more you know your TRUE SELF (without ego), the closer you are to finding God within yourself. If Source/God is within you, why is it that we are so good at distracting ourselves from finding God within? Whether it’s scrolling through social media, having an endless list of To Do’s, or focusing so much on the external circumstance you’re in, that the feelings of overwhelm, sadness, anger, or frustration seem to take over. What if we did something different instead?

First, have the awareness of what is truly going on for you- an internal battle between your ego trying to stay alive, and your soul’s essence coming out to shine and connect you deeply to God within. Then, breathe deeply and keep breathing deeply so you can bring yourself into presence. Then, listen to your emotions, accept them as they are, and love them. And stop yourself from doing the instinctive thing you’re so used to doing (like opening the fridge to eat, scrolling, or binging on Netflix) to avoid all of these feelings you are trying to avoid.

After you get over the initial discomfort of choosing your soul and connection to God, over your ego and instinctive habits, what happens when you practice this? A different perspective. A freedom within you regardless of your circumstances. A place of knowing that everything is going to be ok regardless of whether you get the outcome you want or not. The ego is all about controlling outcomes. And your soul is all about living in freedom and being all that you were created to be; and in close connection to God. So not only can you begin to connect more deeply to yourself when you consciously choose your Higher Self and connection to God within, you begin to rest. Rest in the belief and faith that God’s got you and that you are being led for something greater. This difficult time is refining you like a fine diamond. You can hear the whispers of His voice more than you can hear your ego. And you begin to act on it more and more. This is a journey and a choice each and every moment.

What do you choose for yourself and your life? Funny enough, you’ll often get the result you’ve been wanting, just by finding God within, instead of focusing on external “problems”. Keep going inside! That’s where all the answers are. That’s where your freedom is. When you take action from this space, miracles happen.

I often think of the movie that was popular many years ago, “Life is Beautiful” by Roberto Benigni. The main character, Guido, lives his life with hope and expectation. But his idyllic world is threatened by Nazi soldiers, and the entire family is under their imprisonment. It is absolutely incredible to watch Guido guide his son through the game of life in this movie, which is based on a true story. You can google the title of the movie and watch it online. (If you haven’t seen it, it can be a good one for a long weekend that’s coming up.)

At the end of the day, if each one of us can take care of ourselves, really begin to know ourselves, and choose our Higher Self and connection with God, over our egoic ways, then collectively, our world would be a better place. I heard one of my mentors today talk about getting better results in your life. He said to…

• “Pray for it” – which I believe is similar to going inwards, resting at your heart, and talking to God there. Then listen to God’s instructions, which you’ll receive as an internal knowing.
• “Study and meditate on the Word of God” – depending on where you’re at on your spiritual journey, this mentor was referring to the Bible. As you study, you gain understanding; and
• “Walk in obedience” – which is to follow the laws of God – this is what is written in the Word, and the laws of the Universe.

So is it time to surrender yet? Based on the state of the world and looking at your life, how does that feel? God can work miracles if we ask Him to and believe with faith. He is not outside of you. He is within you. Ask for better results, more peace, more joy, more of whatever it is you want for yourself and for this world. He is listening. And He’s closer to you than you may think.